Tim Wilson Australia’s new Human Rights Commissioner

Attorney-General George Brandis has appointed Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) policy director Tim Wilson as Australia’s new Human Rights Commissioner, provoking a storm of criticism from Labor and the Greens.

Mr Wilson has worked for the IPA, a Liberal-leaning free market think tank that called for the Human Rights Commission to be abolished in January, for the last seven years.

“These have been off the national agenda in recent years, free speech has been under attack last year when Parliament considered restricted media freedom as well as limitations to free speech on the grounds of offending insulting people," he said.

He argued the IPA’s criticism of the Commission and his appointment were not inconsistent and singled out the repeal of section 18c of the Racial Discrimination Act, which make it unlawful to offend or insult a person because of their race and which conservative columnist Andrew Bolt was founded to have breached in 2011, as an example of a threat to freedom of speech.

“The reason why the IPA has called for the abolition [of the Commission] is because it stopped focusing on human rights. The government has decided to keep the Human Rights Commission, so I’ll work for them in that context, to make sure they are advancing human rights and values," he said.

“There is nothing inconsistent about it. I defy anyone to say I haven’t been a strong advocate for human rights all my life."

Restore balance to the Commission

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Mr Wilson rejected suggestions his was a partisan appointment after suggesting on his personal website that he looked forward to “advancing the government’s freedom agenda’’.

“I will exercise utter independence in this role, but to the extent the government plans to advocate for traditional human rights then I welcome their support."

In a statement, Senator Brandis flagged further changes to the Human Rights Commission in the new year and praised Mr Wilson as “one of Australia’s most prominent public advocates of the rights of the individuals".

“The appointment of Mr Wilson to this important position will help to restore balance to the Australian Human Rights Commission which, during the period of the Labor government, had become increasingly narrow and selective in its view of human rights,’’ he said.

Extreme views criticised

But Labor senator
Kim Carr
lashed the appointment on social media as “IPA snouts in the trough as policy director lands $322K job at a body it recommended be abolished. Jobs for the boys are back."

Greens legal affairs spokeswoman Penny Wright accused Seantor Brandis as having “laid his ideological cards on the table" with the appointment.

“The Attorney General has already made it clear he thinks some human rights are more important than others, including that free speech ought to trump anti-discrimination laws. There must always be a balance between “freedoms to" and “freedoms from". Mr Wilson’s long-held views are extreme and place some individuals above the community."

Mr Wilson has resigned his membership of the Liberal Party and the IPA.

In July, Senator Brandis was sharply critical of Labor’s decision to appoint author, ALP member and ex-NSW Labor staffer Tim Soutphommasane as the Race Discrimination Commissioner.

He descibed Dr Soutphommasane, who resigned his ALP membership, as a “partisan of the left" at the time.